1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a type determination apparatus, a type determination method, and a computer-readable storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, electrical devices, such as PCs, that are used by users are installed in offices and the like. Such electrical devices may consume electric power (standby power) even when the users are away such as after office hours and on holidays. It is desirable that consumption of unnecessary power be suppressed to realize power saving. On the other hand, standby power is not always unnecessary power. For example, some electrical devices need standby power to maintain their built-in clock functions. Hence, when the model (type) of an electrical device is determined, only if it is an electrical device of a type that allows the stopping of the supply of power thereto, processes such as stopping the supply of power are required.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-022156 proposes a technology for checking a feature value of a current value sampled for a predetermined time of, for example, approximately 20 ms (millisecond) against a predetermined feature value, and detecting the state of a device.
However, the method of Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-022156 makes determination using a feature value calculated from a measurement value (current) that fluctuates periodically and accordingly may not appropriately determine a device if there exists, for example, a plurality of devices whose periodic fluctuation patterns are consistent or similar. Moreover, in determination by measurement of a current from a distribution board as in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2011-022156, it is not possible to accurately determine the states of devices in places such as an office where there exists a plurality of persons and a plurality of similar devices.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a type determination apparatus, a type determination method, and a computer-readable storage medium that can determine the type of a device with higher accuracy even if there exists a plurality of persons or devices.